Hi! I’m Sarah Jefford, an IVF Mum, egg donor, surrogate and family and surrogacy lawyer.
Welcome to the Surrogacy and Donor Conception Blog, with posts about surrogacy, donor conception, laws, news items, and my personal experiences as a donor and surrogate. You can scroll through the posts, search by category or keyword below.
The Fourth Surro-Trimester
The Fourth Trimester Many people haven’t heard of the ‘fourth trimester,’ let alone when it applies in a surrogacy arrangement. The fourth trimester refers to the first three months after a baby is born when baby is going [...]
Surrogate Partners: The Unsung Heroes
There's a few heroes in the story of surrogacy - but none more unassuming than the surrogate's partner. Our partners don't ask to go down this path, and the rewards for them are few and far between. But [...]
Egg Donation
Egg donation is one of those topics that garners interest on social media occasionally, and warrants a warm fuzzy headline now and again, but good quality information and resources are lacking. There are restrictions on advertising for an [...]
Feminism & Altruistic Surrogacy
A core belief of any feminist, is that a woman has the right to full bodily autonomy. That includes reproductive autonomy; the right to determine if and when she has children, how many, and the right to make [...]
Money Talks, But What If We Don’t Like the Conversation?
It is a fact universally known, that altruistic surrogates don't like to talk about money. We don't like asking for money, and we'd rather spend our own money than burden our intended parents. We feel that any talk [...]
So You Want to Be a Surrogate?
So you want to be a surrogate? I remember when I first considered becoming a surrogate - searching everywhere for information and ending up down many an internet rabbit hole. I was excited and nervous; my husband was [...]
DIY Parentage Order: You Can Do It!
Do you want to do your Parentage Order yourself? By the time you have your baby in your arms, you’ve spent considerable money on IVF, legal expenses, counselling and pregnancy and birth expenses for your surrogate…not to mention [...]
Frequently Asked Questions
Wondering if surrogacy is legal in Australia? Thinking about pursuing surrogacy to grow your family? Thinking about being a surrogate to help someone grow theirs? Here's some answers to questions you might have. Don't forget to download your [...]
Surrogacy in Victoria
Surrogacy is legal in Victoria, and every State in Australia. Victorian surrogacy arrangements are regulated by the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008. The law is currently being reviewed, and expected to be reformed in the coming year. The [...]
Surrogacy in New South Wales
Surrogacy in New South Wales is regulated by the Surrogacy Act 2010. If you are an intended parent living in NSW, then the surrogacy laws that apply to you are those of New South Wales. This is the [...]
Kids and Surrogacy
Kids and surrogacy - complex problem or privileged experience? I'm often asked about my children's responses to me being a surrogate, and for advice about preparing children for surrogacy. My kids were taught fairly early that sperm+egg+uterus=baby. They're [...]
Surrogacy in Tasmania
If you are an intended parent living in Tasmania or a surrogate carrying for Tasmanian intended parents, the Surrogacy Act 2012 applies to you. The criteria for surrogacy in Tasmania includes: That the intended parents have a social [...]
Planning a Surrogacy Birth
When planning a surrogacy, the team should think of the birth and how they will navigate the hospital system to support their surrogacy birth. Surrogates will have their own experiences of birth and have ideas of how they [...]
Surrogacy in Queensland
If you are an intended parent living in Queensland or a surrogate carrying for Queensland intended parents, the Surrogacy Act 2010 applies to you. The criteria for surrogacy in QLD includes: That the intended parents have a social [...]
Surrogacy in Western Australia
Surrogacy in Western Australia If you are an intended parent living in Western Australia or a surrogate carrying for Western Australia intended parents, the Surrogacy Act 2008 applies to you. The criteria for surrogacy in WA includes: That [...]
Gestational Surrogacy in Australia
Gestational surrogacy, in which the surrogate is not the genetic mother of the baby she is carrying, is the most common form of surrogacy both in Australia and overseas. Gestational surrogacy is different from Traditional Surrogacy, where the [...]
Surrogacy in the Northern Territory
Surrogacy in the Northern Territory is neither legal or illegal. This is because there are no surrogacy laws in the Northern Territory at all. All the States and the ACT have their own surrogacy laws, but the NT [...]
Surrogacy in South Australia
Surrogacy in South Australia. If you are an intended parent living in South Australia or a surrogate carrying for South Australian intended parents, the Family Relationships Act 1975 applies to you. The criteria for surrogacy in SA includes: [...]
Donor Agreements
Donor Agreements involve an agreement between a donor and recipient parent/s that clarifies the relationships and expectations between the parties. They are often used between sperm donors and their donor recipients, and not so often with egg donors. [...]
Surrogacy in the ACT
Surrogacy in the Australian Capital Territory is regulated by the Parentage Act 2004. If you are an intended parent living in the ACT, then the surrogacy laws that apply to you are those of the Australian Capital Territory. [...]
Do I Qualify for Surrogacy in Australia?
Do I qualify for surrogacy in Australia? The first step when determining whether, as an intended parent, you qualify for surrogacy in Australia, is to work out which laws apply to you. The laws of the State where [...]